Bit office remains dilapidated

 
The state of Barahatia Forest Bit Office remains disrepair for a long time. It is under the Lohagara Chunti Forest Range in Chittagong.

The locals are saying that the beat office is called Zero at work. The dilapidated building houses the office and accommodation of three people. The bit officer said; here evict all places except the office. The office is also dilapidated. When it rains, it gets wet.

Influential quarters are occupying all the places under this bit and deforestation is taking place. Some of them have planted different types of fruit and forest trees to occupy the places themselves. Although the local chairman-members, politicians and influential people have been syndicating and cutting down the forest at noon, the people of the forest department have remained silent for mysterious reasons.

Asaduzzaman, a Barahatia forest bit officer said, 'there are 5,700 acres of hills or forest land under the Barahatia forest bit. I am a sick person. I have had two strokes. I can't take care of everything because of the manpower crisis.

I am living in a dilapidated building at risk. All the places covered by the bit except my office have been evicted long ago.'

According to the locals, the influential people have occupied the forest land with the help of all the beat officers who have come to Barahatia forest bit. Where the people of the forest department could not occupy any forest land at all, even if the hill is cut, it can be said that there is no supervision of the concerned department.

Chunti Forest Range Officer (in charge) Shahinur Rahman said, there is manpower crisis in Barahatia Forest Beat Office. Due to which the forest department has occupied the place. The matter has been reported to the higher authorities. However, he said that a campaign would be launched soon to seize the forest lands. Asked about the dilapidated bit office building, he could not give any proper answer.


---- Zahedul Islam, Lohagara